


The Life Expectancy of a Crow

by weeklyslap



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, DILF? dilf, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Goro Big Bang 2020, Gun Violence, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Self-Discovery, dereality (in case this is needed), except maruki is goros adoptive DAD, if youre reading this hiiii, it's literally just persona 5 royal. everything is the same, pls leave like at least a kudo thatd be awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:22:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weeklyslap/pseuds/weeklyslap
Summary: Takuto Maruki had taken Akechi in at a young age, and Akechi had already seen the worst the world had to offer. Despite Maruki doing everything in his ability to ensure that Akechi would never suffer again, it seems that fate had a different plan for both of them. Hungry for vengeance and answers, Akechi seeks out to single-handedly destroy anyone who dared cross his path- striking down evil bank owners and corrupt business leaders all for the ultimate goal of taking down his scumbag politician father Masayoshi Shido.However, it seems a newly established vigilante group had the same idea as him.And they’re doing it flawlessly.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Maruki Takuto, Akechi Goro & Shido Masayoshi, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Maruki Takuto/Rumi
Comments: 17
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> before we begin our journey;
> 
> the wonderful [karo](https://twitter.com/eedgeworth_s) did some very nice art for this fic as apart of the goro big bang! you can find their art [here.](https://twitter.com/eedgeworth_s/status/1352110438171992064?s=20) i hope you enjoy it as much as i do, and i hope you like this fic, too!

The brunette looked down at the money in his hand, then back up to the items on the shelf. 

One pack of instant noodles cost around 200 yen- and in comparison to the 100 yen he held in his hand, it didn’t look like that would cut it. Goro picked up the delicacy in front of him, holding one item in each hand respectively. He lifted his left hand, examining the money he had in his possession. He then lifted his right hand, looking at the instant noodles that laid motionless in his grasp. He switched the way he lifted his hands, raising both of them almost as if he was weighting them, trying to come to a solid conclusion on what to do. 

Mom told him to never steal, right?

Goro was young, but not dumb enough to not know what had happened to his mother. Some things are better left undiscussed- for now, at least. His mom had left him a specific set of rules before her passing. She gave him the rules of thumb- not to steal, not to lie, not to do anything stupid (and she would whisper how he shouldn’t unless he positively needs to). 

The more he looked at the noodles, the more his vision distorted. The temptation of just sliding it into his backpack and running back home was present, and the adrenaline of being on the run was definitely something he wasn’t opposed to. He let his right hand fall, still gripping onto the noodles. He gazed up and brought his attention to the employees working the store, seeing that they were busy either counting cash or talking with customers. Across the employee counter he could spot a taller, dark haired man with an arrangement of snacks in his hand. His mouth watered at the sight of the sweets, blinking out of his trance and shaking his head. He turned his head away from the counter, another worrying sight in front of him. 

There stood a convenience store employee.

“Kid, are you gonna pay for that?” The employee asked, Goro’s eyes widening as he gazed up at the employee. The boy seemed so much smaller under the gaze of the employee, the older man looking down on him with eyes sharper than knives. Goro felt his money fall from his hands, the loose change making noise as it hit the floor. “I- I--” Goro tried to find the words needed in order to get out of this situation, his brain freezing. His body was stuck to the ground, the employee reaching out for the instant noodles in his hand.

Goro felt his fight or flight defenses trigger, the sight of a stranger putting their hands anywhere near him causing him to stumble in both train of thought and train of action. Goro saw as the hand reached closer for the object in his possession, the brunette allowing his instincts to kick in. 

“Wait! I’ll pay for it!”

Goro turned around, his leg in the air from the roundhouse kick he was about to perform, the convenience store employee gazing at the new voice in shock. 

Goro eyed the elder male who placed himself in the situation, spotting every little imperfection on his body (from his messy brown hair to the loosely cuffed pants he wore). He looked down to the bag of candy around his arm, suspicious of his significantly older man coming to the help of this significantly younger boy who also happened to be all alone. The employee seemed to share the same thoughts as Goro, the employee’s prior hostility facing as he retracted his hand, allowing Goro to come by his side if he needed to. 

“Do you know him?” The employee asked, cocking his head to the older brunette who stood across from Goro and the employee. Goro studied the male one more time, his eyebrow raising as he fully processed the situation. “Uhm,” Goro murmured, jaw clenching as he forced a neutral expression on his face, “I know him. He lives in my apartment complex,” the longer Goro spoke, the more his voice died down, the internal guilt of lying eating at his insides like a parasite. The employee looked at the younger boy, then to the customer across from him, then back down to Goro. 

“Alright,” the employee murmured, tossing the instant noodles back to Goro, “but if you’re the next poster child on a ‘missing’ sheet, that’s your problem.” The employee bluntly stated, Goro’s blood running cold as he looked up to the brunette across from him. 

“If it helps,” the stranger began to say, his smooth, sweet voice installing temporary relaxation into Goro’s system, “I’m not gonna… what the employee said. You looked like you were in trouble, so I wanted to, uhh, you know.” The stranger let his hands dip into his pockets, shrugging as he tried to articulate his thoughts. “I wanted to help.” He finally said, Goro staring at the stranger in curiosity and caution. Goro placed the instant noodles back on the shelf, the stranger’s eyebrows raising in confusion. 

“Why’d you put them away? I’ll pay for them!” The stranger smiled, Goro still shaken up by the prior incident. “I don’t wanna be a burden.” Goro whispered, crossing his arms as he avoided eye contact. The stranger thought about the words he heard before responding. a smile of reassurance on his face. “Really, I don’t mind.” Goro tilted his head to look at the instant noodles on the shelf, slowly reaching for them again. He looked at the package in his hands, Goro handing the noodles to the stranger. 

“I’m Maruki, by the way. Takuto Maruki.” The stranger smiled, his expression warm and his posture inviting. Despite only meeting just a few moments ago, Goro felt safe around Maruki. The elder held out his hand to the younger, Goro looking at his hand, his expression softening, not brave enough to shake his hand. “I’m not some creepy old guy, I promise. I study cognitive science at a university in Odaiba.” Maruki smiled, Goro’s eyebrows furrowing at the term. Maruki chuckled in response, retracting his hand as there was no handshake. “Sorry, big words-- I’m studying the brain. How it works and stuff.” Upon seeing Goro look down on confusion, the elder’s head perked up as he got an idea.

“Think of it this way,” Maruki sighed, Goro looking up in interest.

“You were hesitant to shake my hand. Do you know why?” Maruki asked, Goro letting the question process in his brain before coming up with an answer. “Isn’t that a question only I would know the answer to?” Goro asked, shifting his weight from his tippy-toes to his heels. He alternated the two postures until he gasped, leaning into Maruki’s personal space.

“Are you a mind-reader?” Goro whispered, Maruki cackling in response.

“Definitely not! I’d be too powerful, then.” He smiled, Goro chuckling under his breath as he retracted back into his own space. “You didn’t want to shake my hand because of what the employee said, right? You don’t know me in the same way I don’t know you. It makes sense that you were hesitant.” Goro felt his mouth drop open, Maruki patiently awaiting his words. 

“You’re definitely a mind-reader.” Goro murmured, Maruki smiling in response. “You know, there are a few theories that could prove that mind-readers are real.” He chirped, Goro’s eyes widening. “Really?!” He gleefully asked, Maruki almost feeling bad with the information he was going to say. “Technically, but not really in the way you’re thinking. It’s all written science, but there’s been no physical proof of anything in the theories being, like, legitimate. Mind-readers could be real, but at the moment, it seems highly unlikely.” Maruki sighed, Goro’s excitement depleting. “You lied to me.” Goro pouted, Maruki’s heart panging.

“Maybe sometime in the future some smarty-pants will make it possible.” Maruki reasoned, Goro’s face distorting into one of discomfort. “That sounds scary, though. I don’t really want someone peeking into my secrets,” Goro murmured, Maruki scratching the back of his neck as he thought of an appropriate response. “I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, “but it would be pretty impressive.” Maruki sighed, Goro shrugging. 

“I don’t want to keep you long. Aren’t your parents worried?” Maruki finally stated, Goro’s eyes leaving Maruki’s and heading to the floor. “They won’t care.” He whispered, Maruki furrowing his eyebrows. “They most definitely will care! I’d care if my--” Maruki stopped himself before finishing, looking down at Goro, “how old are you, anyway?” Goro toyed with the sleeve of his shirt before processing what the elder had asked him. 

“Thirteen.” Goro murmured, Maruki looking at him intently. “I live with foster parents. I wanted to get instant noodles so I wouldn’t have to look at them and ask for food.” the brunette quietly said, Maruki looking at him with softness in both his eyes and heart. “Oh… I didn’t--” Goro shushed him before he could continue, strictness in his tone. “I’m not asking for pity, I’m just letting you know.” Goro put his thumbs up, Maruki slowly nodding in accordance to his words.

After paying, Maruki gave the convenience store bag to Goro. The brunette peeked inside, seeing an extra snack. He gazed up to Maruki, who smiled as he watched Goro pull out a lollipop. 

“Goro.”

Maruki’s expression became one of confusion, the younger holding his bag on his arm. “Goro is my name. You introduced yourself and I didn’t.” He mumbled, keeping the lollipop in his pocket. 

Maruki smiled, waving his goodbyes to Goro.

“It was nice meeting you, Goro.” 

-

It’s been a few weeks since the instant noodle incident. The only reason Goro remembers is because he’s reminded of it every time he looks at a pack of noodles, and tonight was no exception. Maruki handed Goro a can of melon soda, the brunette nodding in appreciation. Goro held onto the can as he looked back up to the older man in front of him, a pretzel between his lips. Goro looked back down, taking a quick sip of his drink. 

Ever since the noodle incident, Goro’s become a regular ‘customer’ to the convenience store in Odaiba. From the looks of it, so had Maruki, as the two always seemed to meet in the candy aisle from that day forward. From weeks of speaking on and off, it’s outside of the convenience store that they stand in silence eating the snacks that Maruki had gotten for them both. 

“How’s school?” Maruki asked, casually breaking the silence between them. Goro shrugged as he thought about school, his mind hazy as he tried to think of good things to tell Maruki. 

“It’s… there,” Goro sighed, swirling around the drink in his hand, watching the liquid inside the can splash around, “nothing too exciting.” 

“How’s your school?” Goro asked, Maruki unsure of how to explain his thoughts. “I made a lot of progress on a… a project, of mine.” He murmurs, Goro’s interest piquing as he took another sip of his drink. “Is this about being a mind-reader? You said it was impossible- why are you trying?” Goro said rather harshly, Maruki chuckling in awe. “That was… that was mean, Goro.” He smiled, Goro’s lips forming into a smirk at the reaction he got. “Besides, I never said it was impossible. It just seems highly unlikely to ever happen.” Goro’s eyebrows furrowed in response, trying to process Maruki’s words. “Highly unlikely just means impossible. We all don’t get what we want, it’s okay.” Goro murmured, Maruki’s interest showing in the way he adjusted his posture. 

“What do you mean by that?” Maruki asked, taking a bite of the pretzel in his hand. “Sometimes, we don’t get what we want. I don’t wanna be in Odaiba, but I can’t really just… run away. I’d be roadkill tomorrow if I ran away now. In the same way you wanna be a mind-reader: it’s unlikely, like you said.” Goro explained, Maruki subtly surprised by his words. “You seem rather pragmatic for an thirteen year old.” Maruki murmured, Goro shrugging in response. “It comes for free when you grow up too fast.” He sighed, Maruki unsure of how to respond. 

“I’m living with foster parents right now- I told you that on our first meeting. I used to live in Hakone with my mom, but…” Goro sighed as he thought of how to articulate his thoughts, “she… she, uhm, she killed herself.” He whispered, his voice quivering. Maruki examined the way Goro’s hands balled into fists, Goro’s eyes glued to the floor beneath him. “If I’m allowed to ask,” Maruki murmured, Goro looking up to the elder, “what about your father?” Goro’s solemn expression contorted into one of disdain, Maruki beginning to get a gist of what’s going on in the younger’s brain.

“I never met my father.” Goro whispered, Maruki nodding in acknowledgement. “But the moment I do,” The gaze in Goro’s eyes became rather strict, his tone of voice sharp and posture straight, “I promise you that I’ll kill him.” 

The silence between the two was almost unsettling, Maruki not breaking his eye contact with the younger boy. 

“What did he do that deserves death?” Maruki calmly asked, Goro taking a final sip from his can of soda, realizing that it was empty before crushing it with his hand. “Aren’t you a mind-reader? Figure it out.” Goro hissed, Maruki seemingly unphased by the hostility. 

“I’m sorry,” Goro mumbled, Maruki nodding as he listened to the younger speak, “I’m not used to getting asked all these questions. I’m not actually used to talking to people.” Maruki noticed the unnerved expression that was on the younger’s face, the pair equally pensive. “You shouldn't feel obligated to, either. Am I… am I making you uncomfortable? Asking you all these questions and stuff.” Maruki seemed very careful when speaking, Goro looking up at him. “I don't really have an outlet for talking about myself or my emotions. I have a lot of thoughts on my mind, but I don’t know what to do with them. I can't really go up to my guardians and say ‘I hate you guys, I’m running away to discover the identity of my estranged father and get revenge on him’. That’s not normal.” 

Despite being only thirteen, Goro seemed very aware of the world around him. 

“I say that you should do whatever your heart says you should do. Does your heart want you to find your father?” Maruki asked, watching as Goro’s hands balled into fists. “Every part of me wants to. That's the problem. I do hate my guardians- they hit me, they yell at me. But if I ran away, they’d either send me back to that house or to another home that wants a trophy child. The cycle would repeat up until the adoption center realizes I'm old enough to take care of myself and throws me out on the street.” Maruki seemed surprised by the words pouring out of Goro’s mouth, the elder trying to think of a solution to help the boy. 

“So get out of your household.” Maruki mumbled, his hands swinging in his pockets. 

“You're making this sound a lot easier than it actually is, mind-reader.” Goro chuckled in response.

“It'll be rough these next few weeks, but you don't wanna get stuck in the cycle. You want to find your father, right? You can’t do that if your guardians constantly abuse you-- you won't be safe if you stay with your current guardians.” Maruki whispered, Goro’s eyes widening at the thoughts pouring into his brain. “Are you insinuating that you wanna take care of me?” Goro smiled, Maruki waving his hands and backing up slightly. “No! No, not-- wait, I would love to, but I'm not--” Goro giggled at Maruki’s words, shaking his head.

“I get what you mean. I’ll figure something out, don't worry. I was planning on getting out of the house for a new one, anyway.” Goro mumbled, Maruki suspicious of his resolution. “But… you're a kid. Are you sure you don't need any help?” He asked, Goro’s neutral expression becoming one of anger. “I’m more than just some kid! I can prove it to you!” Goro hissed, Maruki raising his hands and grabbing onto Goro’s arm to keep him from running away.

“What do you want?” His voice seemed shaky, almost as if he was on the verge of tears.

“When do you want to do this plan? At least give me the address so I can check on you.” Maruki softly asked, Goro gazing up at him. His expression seemed soft now- understanding. Maruki watched as the boy took out a small piece of paper from his backpack, writing down an array of numbers and words. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve been in worse households and still got out in one piece,” Goro spat, Maruki unsure of how to dissect that statement. “Just… after you execute your plan, meet me at this store, okay?” Goro reluctantly handed the sheet of paper to the elder, Maruki taking it in pride.

“If you don’t, I’ll go to your house. I don’t want to see you dead, Goro.”

“One week from now on Friday. See you then.” 

Maruki nodded, Goro walking away into Odaiba’s darkness. 

-

Not once had Maruki been so scared to enter a 777 convenience store. 

He sat quietly on a bench by the entrance, Odaiba’s buzzing city life not giving him any comfort. Despite the noisy world around him, his body ran cold- he couldn’t feel secure or at ease, especially with what had gone on today. He hadn’t heard from Goro the whole day, and he wasn’t ready to think about the worst case scenarios. 

“You look terrible today.” A smaller voice had said, Maruki darting his head to his left to find the owner of the voice. 

The familiar caramel-haired boy sat down next to Maruki, his knuckles a dark pink with a wrap-around bandage on his arm. Maruki felt tears well up in his eyes, instinctively hugging the smaller boy. Goro choked on his saliva, the emotional response to his appearance catching him off guard. “Hey, you’re holding on too hard! I--” Goro hissed, wriggling out of Maruki’s grasp, “I couldn’t breathe.” Goro panted, blinking as he adjusted to his surroundings. Maruki watched him expectantly, hoping that he would tell him about what happened.

“For starters,” Goro began to say, “I got out alive.” He murmured, unsure if he should be happy or sad. “Yeah, barely! How did this get here?” Maruki hissed, pointing to the wrap on Goro’s arm. “Risky decisions sometimes have risky consequences. On my way out of the house, one of my guardians slid a glass bottle off a shelf rather harshly and it shattered on my arm. The paramedics took care of it, though.” Maruki’s eyes widened at the word ‘paramedics’, Goro chuckling in response.

“The paramedics came? What the heck happened?!” Maruki asked, Goro smiling even wider at his choice of words. “My guardians fought with me practically everyday, and to avoid getting hit, I usually ignore them. Since I planned on getting out today, I talked back to them. They got really mad, I dropped my pain tolerance, and I dialed the police so they could at least hear what was going on and track my location. When they came, my guardians tried to run away, but a few officers ended up getting them.” Goro explained calmly, his body language anything but. His leg bounced with nerves as he spoke, Maruki taking his emotions into consideration.

“And how’d you get all these?” Maruki pointed to Goro’s injuries, shrugging in response. “Well, I called the authorities, they just took a while to get there. I had to fist fight one guy, and then I was provoked to hit a woman, and then the police knocked down the door, and then they grabbed me, and then they--” Goro could feel himself going off the deep end, holding onto the bench as he tried to keep himself grounded.

“Shh, you’re okay now,” Maruki whispered, Goro’s entire body falling back into the bench. His tense structure was now calm, although his hands were still somewhat shaky. 

“What happened next?” Maruki murmured, Goro not quite sure himself. “Well, the person in charge of the adoption centre I’ve been in my whole life came to the house. She was pretty mad at me, but she was nice in front of the authorities. She said she would find me a new, ‘safe’ home in less than a day, but...” Goro cut himself off, Maruki listening to his words carefully. 

“Isn’t that what we wanted? What we said would be the best idea in the case that you still plan on finding your father?” Maruki murmured, confused by the frown on the younger’s face. “Of course, but… I’m going to be leaving Odaiba. For a very long time.” 

Oh.

Goro seemed to have regret telling Maruki, the sadness in the elder’s expression very telling of how he processed the situation. “Well, I can take care of you, if you want. We could be roommates.” Maruki offered, seemingly serious about his words. 

Goro’s eyebrows furrowed, unsure of how to dissect what Maruki had said. “I don’t want your pity. Do you think I’m not capable of taking care of myself?!” The brunette hissed, Maruki stifling any emotions as his eyes gazed down to the bruises that decorated Goro’s arms and hands. Goro rubbed his wrapped arm, a wave of resentment washing over him. 

“Besides, that won’t be necessary. You won’t actually have to worry about me anymore.” Goro mumbled, Maruki seemingly confused. “You’re going to a different house, not a different country. We can still see each other around Odaiba, don’t worry!” The elder ruffled the younger’s hair, Goro’s nose scrunching as he lifted his hands to comb his hair back into place. “It’s not that easy!” The elder seemed to be growing more and more confused, trying to piece together what Goro was getting at.

“Why not, then? Because you're leaving?” 

“I won't be in Odaiba anymore! Today is my last day!”

Goro spat the words out of his mouth, a horrible sting panging his body. Maruki mouthed a small ‘oh’ as he looked down, the younger boy shifting his hostility and feeling somewhat down. The silence between them was uncomfortable, yet extremely telling, the two unsure of how to proceed with the conversation now that it’s taken this direction. 

“The chances of us meeting again are… low. I can’t really go to Odaiba everyday when I’ll be living far away from it. They still got 777 in Ikebukuro, right?” The younger whispered the last part to himself, Maruki listening carefully. “I’m gonna be leaving Odaiba for a bit too, actually.” He smiled, Goro’s eyes gazing up at the elder male, interest piquing. “I’m gonna be heading to the countryside, off to visit my girlfriend’s parents.” Goro slowly nodded, digesting the information he was receiving. 

“That’s good,” he mumbled.

“Yeah.” Maruki replied.

Goro slid his hands into his pockets, the silence between them unnerving. The younger boy rubbed the wrap-around bandage on his arm for comfort, Maruki wiping his hands on his thighs, standing up and fixing his hair. Goro followed suit, standing up and fixing a loose bandage on his finger. The two side-eyed each other until one of them mustered up the courage to speak up, Goro unsure of whether or not Maruki was even comfortable with speaking anymore. The elder reached into his backpack, taking out a small box with a cartoon apple drawn on it. 

“Take this. Compensation.”

“Compensation? Compensation for what?”

Maruki chuckled at Goro’s response, handing over the juice box and placing it in Goro's hand, waiting until he saw him hold onto it. “Compensation for hanging out with me. Must have added a lot of stress to your already stressful life- I’m really sorry.” Maruki murmured his apology, the younger boy picking the plastic straw away from the juice box. He poked the sharp bit into the loose foil at the top, pressing his fingers and bending the bendy part of the straw so it was just right, taking a short sip of the apple juice. 

“You were one of the things that kept me going. Aside from, you know, the need to get back at my dad.” Goro explained, the elder male gazing down at him. “I looked forward to our meetings everyday, even the days where we didn’t speak to each other. A lot of the things you taught me are probably things I’ll use in the future. I mean it when I say you weren’t an annoyance to me, mind-reader.” Goro fiddled with the tip of the bendy straw, bending it back and forth. “If anything, I was more of an annoyance to you than you were to me.” He chuckled, Maruki shaking his head.

“Definitely not.” Maruki smiled, Goro unsure if it was his heart or his brain talking.

Goro took a long sip from the box of apple juice, shaking it lightly to see how much juice he had left. 

“We’re in the same place, then? Leaving Odaiba.” Goro mumbled, earning a soft sigh out of the older man in front of him. “I think fate will allow us to meet again, hm?” Maruki whispered, the younger boy unsure of how to respond to something of that manner. 

Goro wasn’t fond of the idea of fate. It had rolled off the elder’s tongue so easily, while it always got stuck on Goro’s lips. Fate was on the list of things Goro was suspicious about, alongside Santa Claus and, most recently, mind reading. Fate allowed his mother to die and his father to run away, and fate allowed him to be thrown around from foster home to foster home. Fate allowed him to get approached by a 777 employee and fate allowed him to meet Maruki. 

Fate was peculiar. Maybe that’s why Goro was so attracted yet disgusted to the idea of it. 

“I’m sure of it. Fate has its own way of working, right? I only hope that it works in the right way.” Goro stated, resisting his thirst and holding onto the juice box a little bit longer. Maruki smiled as he ruffled the younger’s hair, Goro whining in protest, using his free hand to comb it back to normal. 

Maruki turned around, walking ahead before stopping in his tracks, his head turning around to side-eye the younger boy. 

“Parting… parting is such sweet sorrow.” The elder murmured, Goro repeating it in his brain like a mantra. 

Goro latched onto the juice box as hard as he could, fighting the urge to run up next to Maruki and go with him. His mind was cloudy, all this thoughts overlapping as he watched Maruki zip up his backpack, finally starting to walk away into Odaiba’s night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fate has it's ways, does it not?

The brunette slid his phone into his back pocket, taking out his keys in exchange. He held one of the keys against the side of his pointer finger and pad of his thumb, pressing down on the brass tightly. 

Goro… isn’t sure how he got in this situation. 

The first thing he remembers is going into a small alleyway in prime Shinjuku- past a few garbage cans and stray cats. During his search for any sort of clues related to his father’s identity, he discovered two important things; a Japanese cabinet member who has definitely worked with his father, and a late-night club that he frequented on the weekends. Upon further inspection, he found out that said club was hidden in Shinjuku’s interior, far past the flashy lights that Shinjuku was known for. Goro placed his hand over his eyes as he walked past the posters of near-naked women promoting the club, treating it as a sign that he was close to his destination.

The next thing he remembers was actually arriving at the club, a claret red hue shining on Goro’s face from the lights outside the club. He saw a few men and women talking and exchanging (what he presumed were) phone numbers and addresses, Goro taking out his phone and loading up an image of the man he was looking for. The boy’s eyes scanned the exterior crowd, looking for a clear image of the man he was looking for. 

“Excuse me, do you know…”

“Hello ma’am, do you know who…”

“Hello? He works as a cabinet man? Kind of douchey?”

Goro felt his phone vibrate in his hand, his eyes widening as his mind came up with quick explanations as to what it may be. Sneaking out from home at two in the morning to go to visit a Japanese cabinet man at a Shinjuku strip club was definitely not something he wanted to even try and explain. There was no way his guardians caught on, right? When he left, he had even placed an array of pillows under his blankets to make it look like he was still there.

When the brunette checked his phone, it wasn’t a missed call or text message.

It was… an application?

Goro felt his eyebrows furrow, examining the app carefully. There was an ominously large eye in the center, the brunette comparing it to occult imagery. He lastly remembers tapping on the app; the way his head hurt and pounded, almost as if the world was hurting with him.

And queue: the present.

The walls around him were lined with red vines and cracks, a crimson glow casted over the area. Goro recognized some parts of the area- he recognized the ripped promotional posters on the walls as the ones for popular idols touring in Japan, and he recognized the ticket meters sticking out of the ground by the entrance. He looked towards his feet, seeing sturdy railroad tracks under him. He could faintly hear the sound of a train in the distance, the young boy unsure of where he actually was. He was nowhere near the Shinjuku train station, but-- 

The sound of metal. The sounds of someone walking on the rails in the same way he was doing just now. Goro’s back straightened almost immediately, his eyes widening at the feeling of someone-- something behind him. The boy twisted his entire body around almost immediately, his pensive expression distorting into one of pure horror.

There stood a body, or a clump of bodies, with loose limbs scattered all throughout the monster’s torso and shoulders. It had around five or six heads, each hidden behind a white mask that seemed stuck to it’s faces. It’s body would twitch every few seconds, it’s hands following suit and it’s fingers extending then balling back into fists. It’s arm slowly reached for Goro, the boy feeling something press against his shoulder.

Goro shook his head slowly before getting a gist of what was happening, his gut instincts kicking in as he began to run away. He didn’t dare look back the moment he started to run, the fear of messing up and falling over catching up to him. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, his vision clouded by his tears- maybe it was his sweat? He felt as if his legs were out of control, running at a speed he couldn’t fathom- he wasn’t even sure if the monster was still chasing him. 

The boy came to a quick halt, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was processing his surroundings correctly. 

In front of Goro was a door of some sort- it had an ominous crimson glow, with the pathway’s entrance being a mixture of black and red. The brunette put his hand through the opening, the red-black substance swallowing his hand. It felt fluid- sharing the same feeling of warm water. Goro tried to pull out his hand, yanking and tugging and pulling to no avail. He felt his blood run cold as he noticed his elbow inside of the opening, jolting his head around to try and see if the monster was still running after him. 

The monster was right there, staring at him.

Goro muttered a small curse under his breath, throwing a weak punch at the monster with his free hand. One of the monster’s hands had caught the boy’s punch, holding his wrist between his thumb and ring finger. Goro whimpered at the restrictions, wriggling his fingers and body as he tried to escape the grasp of both the monster and the pathway. He felt the monster’s grasp tighten on his wrist, Goro eyeing the pathway in front of him. His eyes shut as he leaped through the pathway, bracing himself for whatever laid on the other side.

Goro stood with his back up straight with his eyes glued shut and arms crossed, slowly opening his eyes to look around.

The same scenery from before was present in this new area- the pathway was still there, but it didn’t look like the monster was able to come through the pathway in the same way he did. The only difference between this room and the place that Goro was in beforehand was the size- this room was much smaller, but still much safer than the location he was in before. Two pairs of train tracks were on the floor, breaks at the end of the rails to cut them off. It was too dark to see farther than where he was standing, unsure if it was just his vision acting up or a consequence of entering the room he was in in the first place. 

Almost as if on queue, his eyes darted towards a newly present light source in the room- a shadow figure, whose body was outlined in the sharp red lights from the room. Goro felt his body freeze, under the impression that this entity was there for him. He wanted to back away, he wanted to run away, he just wanted to be safe so horribly bad, but no matter how the adrenaline in his body kicked and pushed, he stood still, gulping as he watched the figure’s actions closely. 

The figure stepped into the brightest light source of the room- right in front of Goro.

The brunette studied the figure’s face, his eyes widening at the realization of who was in front of him. 

It was the man he’s been trying to contact all night- it was the cabinetman. The cabinetman with direct ties to his father.

Goro straightened his posture, the figure following in his lead. Upon further inspection, the figure was technically the man he was looking for- but he looked different. ‘Maybe he’s under the weather,’ Goro thought, squinting to examine his facial features. His eyes were yellow (or at least his pupils), Goro thinking they were a dark brown due to the photos he had seen of the man. His age was represented through the wrinkles spread across his face, most notably on the sides of his eyes and his cheeks. 

“It isn’t polite to stare, young man.”

The man continued to speak, Goro on edge. “You have very big eyes, too.” Goro slowly blinked in response to the words, the figure stifling a small chuckle. “They remind me of this woman I used to be in touch with. She had caramel eyes, just like yours. Just as innocent, too.” 

Goro’s interest piqued at the mention of a woman, unsure of how to handle such information. 

“If you may excuse me, sir, are you--” The figure shushed Goro before he could continue, the smaller brunette perplexed by the sudden action.

“Yes, I am the cabinetman. A few of my running mates have told me about a child- probably your age, asking around for me. I’m starting to think it’s you.” He explained, Goro’s face lighting up. “I found the right guy?! I have a few-- well, one question, if you’d be so nice as to respond,” He asked, the cabinetman taking a deep breath before responding.

“Why, go ahead. A young one like you shouldn’t have too deep questions regarding a cabinet man's life.”

Goro took a deep breath, taking the older man’s words into consideration before speaking his thoughts.

“MymotherwasinarelationshipwithaverypowerfulpoliticianandIwouldliketoknowhisname.”

The elder furrowed his eyebrows, leaning in slightly to encourage Goro to speak louder. The brunette reluctantly sighed, preparing himself to speak. 

“My mother was in a relationship with a powerful politician, and I would like to know his name. In school, we did a lesson on the Japanese cabinet and how it works, and watched a few interviews with some high ranking officials.” Goro explained, bringing his hands out of his pockets and using them to create hand motions. “With all the research I did, I concluded that you’d have ties to some very powerful people, and therefore know at least a little about everyone’s personal lives. That kind of information is sacred yet useful in a political world.” Goro murmured, the man looking onward in what seemed to be a mixture of curiosity and fear. 

Goro couldn't stand the silence, unsure of what he had even said was right.

“At least I think so,” he added quietly. 

Goro could see the gears turning in the man’s head, unsure if he had said something wrong. He was sure that he was prepared enough for this situation- the countless nights of research, the hours of going around Tokyo and asking people, even the buzz words he wrote down on his hand to remind him of what to say in this type of situation; he was sure that it would have lead him in the right direction. Yet, the longer that the official kept looking at him, the more Goro began to feel his heart race and race--

“You’re his son.” The figure whispered, head tilting in what Goro couldn’t confirm as amusement or confusion. “Who? I need a name!” Goro pressed, the man staring at him. Goro shuddered at the hostility of his tone, clearing his throat by coughing to fill the quiet air between them. 

“Why would I tell you your father’s name? If you don’t know, it’s probably for a reason.” The elder reasoned, the brunette growling in frustration. “Is it so hard to just… spit it out?” Goro cried, crossing his arms, his posture firm but voice shaky. “You know what? I’m not leaving until I get an answer.” The younger boy hissed, standing still. The cabinetman analyzed the situation before answering, Goro keeping his stance steady.

“I’m friends with your father- I was with him on the night he took your mother home. They had been in contact a few nights beforehand- sharing drinks, talking- poor whore of a woman thought that your father wanted to create something longlasting with her. She put everything on the line for him.” The cabinetman explained, gazing down to Goro’s hands. The younger boy didn’t feel his hands ball up into fists until the cabinetman pointed it out, placing his hands into his pockets. 

“I tried warning her, I did. Your father had done this with countless other women before, and your mother’s naiveness made her the most accessible target for him. The easiest one out of the bunch.” He murmured, Goro’s curiosity dissipating into anger. “He didn’t expect her to get pregnant- most of the women who worked at the club were usually on some sort of birth control, or carried around condoms. Your mother didn’t have either, which was odd for her, considering your father said she always had some sort of protection. You know what he figured out, though?” The man asked, Goro fighting back frustrated tears as he gazed up at the man in front of him.

“She liked him. Me and him aren’t even sure what sparked her trust in him, but it was extremely out of character for what your father had seen of her before. Stupid slut ruined his life just for a kid and some wedlock privileges.” The man concluded, Goro’s eyes widening at his words.

“She ruined his life? Really? Did he spoonfeed you that, or are you that stupid that you thought of that yourself?” Goro asked, the elder’s gaze more disgusted than it was disappointed. “What would you know? God forbid Shido stayed with you- he would have killed you before you turned 5. He did you a favor.” 

Shido?

The man’s eyes widened at his words, Goro’s brain slowly processing his statement. Based on what he’s read, the only Shido in the Japanese cabinet that would know of this cabinetman would be Masayoshi Shido, who already had quite a lengthy background on his name. Goro looked down towards the floor, feeling his insides turn to mush- the man he wanted to meet, to get revenge on, to kill- it was Masayoshi Shido.

The cabinetman dug into his pocket, pulling out a weapon, and upon further inspection, Goro realized what kind of situation he was in.

There was a gun pointed right at the middle of his head. 

“Charity work comes at a price, Goro.” 

The brunette felt his body go limp, falling onto his knees, as did the aim of the gun in the elder’s hands. Maybe falling onto the floor of this unknown world with a gun to his head was the price for getting his nose involved in matters that didn’t even concern him. He could feel the coldness of the steel press against his head, his chest heaving with the little air he had. Goro could accept his death- it’s not like anyone would care if he’s gone, anyway--

A sharp pain tugged at his head, followed by a mixture of a headache and a migraine. Something wasn’t right- something wasn’t right about the idea of Goro dying in the middle of this unknown location at the hands of some pitiful cabinetman. “Charity work?! How was that charity work?” The elder male bashed the magazine of the gun against Goro’s head, the younger boy falling to the floor with a thud. “I could have put a bullet through your head ages ago, but I gave you that information so you could die with an explanation.” The elder spat, the brunette below him too weak to get back up. 

Goro was going to die here, in this unknown place. 

The sharp pains from before had seeped back, Goro reeling his hands out from his pockets to cradle his head. The thought of dying from a gunshot in the middle of nowhere didn’t sit right with him, as did the thought of not being able to get revenge on his father (especially now that he knows his name). There wasn’t a whole lot that he could do now with a gun to his head- maybe fate was allowing this to happen. Maybe fate called for his death. 

Fate… 

“This isn’t how you want to die.”

Goro felt a gust of wind on his skin, chills running up his whole body. A voice had called out to him, the brunette unsure if it was another person in the room or his imagination. “This isn’t how you’re meant to die, as well. Fate has other plans for you.” The voice whispered, Goro unsure of what he was being told. “Are you really going to let yourself die here? You have such a complex future ahead of you-- don’t let these restraints bind you!” 

The pain that wrapped around Goro’s head only intensified in intensity, unsure if it was a result of the newfound voice’s words or just the stress of being on death’s door. The elder man noticed his pain, a small huff coming from his mouth as he bent down to check on Goro’s condition. 

“I haven’t even shot you yet and you look like you’re about to go into a cardiac arrest. Should I hurry this up?” The man murmured, unsure of the course of action to take. 

“You have all the tools you need at your disposal. Fight back against this cruel world and take back what's yours!” The voice shouted, Goro trying to piece together what was being said. His eyes shut tightly as the pain in his head increased, his fingers digging into his scalp, trying to massage his head to get rid of the pain. No matter how hard he pressed on, the pain was still there, eating away at him like a parasite. 

“What’s mine… what’s mine…” Goro tried to figure out what was being said to him by the voice in his head, the elder scoffing at the younger’s actions. “Now you’re babbling? I should just put you out of your misery.” Goro felt his body move on it’s own, sitting up to fully face the elder. The cabinetman held the gun cautiously, moving his pointer finger from the side of the gun to the trigger. 

“Your freedom is yours to keep and for nobody else to steal! Such is your future, your life-- are you going to just die here like your poor mother did? Who will avenge her then?” The brunette could feel his cheeks heat up, the areas around his eyes feeling much more tense than they did before. He shook his head, stretching his fingers, gazing down at the way his hands moved. “Very well- I have heeded your resolve.”

Goro’s eyes widened, his head rising upwards. Sharp, sharp pains began to rise all over his system- his eyes stung, his legs gave out to numbness, and spasms travelled all throughout his body. “I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to put it all on the line to reclaim self freedom… call upon my name, and release thy rage!” Goro’s screaming rang throughout the room, his body leaning forward as he let all his emotions and frustrations out. The elder watched on in both fear and confusion, the gun in his hands falling out of his grasp. 

The brunette slowly got back on his feet, only finding out about his change of outfit seconds after he felt his pain be alleviated. It was a bodysuit, in similar fashion to the villains from the cartoons he saw on T.V; it was an arrangement of slanted diagonal stripes, varying from black and purple stripes. There were misaligned belts scattered throughout the suit, but the longer he looked down, the more he noticed a stinging pain return to his head. 

A sickeningly long helmet was on his head, with a seemingly stuck component for vision that felt like it could come off. Goro wasn’t sure if it was a mask or just some sort of extension, but the longer it was on his face, the more pain he felt being gathered in his head. He slowly dragged his hands to the detachable part of the helmet, his fingers prying themselves behind the loose bits of the mask. The cabinetman watched on in anticipation, too focused to pick up the gun that was on the floor. 

Goro applied more and more pressure to the mask, the feeling of his skin ripping off as he was able to get more of the mask removed. He kept a firm grasp on the mask, painfully ripping it off, every move resulting in a shout of pain from the boy. Once it was loose enough, he tore it off his face, blood dripping down his cheeks from his weakened skin as a result. It felt like total ecstasy to hold the slowly deteriorating mask in his hand- his body felt like it was on fire, but something within himself had changed. The boy turned around upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, eyes widening as he looked up to the entity behind him.

It looked like the monster he had seen earlier, except it didn’t present itself as a threat to Goro. It was seated on top of a sword that was even bigger than Goro, a certain aura attached to him that made the younger boy unaware if he was scared or pleased at his presence. 

“I am the malignant trickster of both worlds, Loki. I am the rebel soul that dwells within you, and if you so desire, I shall grant you the power needed in order to break out of this monstrosity.” The figure hissed, tapping his fingers on the boy’s shoulder once more. Goro gazed down at the strikingly long finger pointing in front of him, Goro watching as the cabinetman’s exterior cracked. “Are you more of an aggressive player?” Loki murmured, sliding a blade that resembled his own into Goro’s hand, “Or do you like casting spells?” Goro felt the names of the spells he could use at the tip of his tongue, trying to decide which option he was more fond of. 

“Damn brat! I’ll kill you!” The man hissed, his voice distorted. He was slowly turning into one of the monsters he had seen before coming into the room he was in, a sinister aura around his body. Goro looked up to Loki, the figure keeping his gaze fixated on the new threat in front of the pair. “Use me. That’s why I’m on your side, is it not?” Goro nodded, his hands balling up into fists. “Then my power is yours! Kill them however you want- run wild to your heart’s content!” Loki prompted, Goro feeling the anger in his system get increasingly more dangerous to the point where he was physically vibrating. 

He cast a sharp ‘Eiha’ to the enemy, Goro watching as his opponent fell over. He cast another one, and another one to solidify the damage, Loki looking onward as the brunette let out his anger. The enemy cried out in pain, the monster exterior returning back to his regular, shadow-like form. Goro separated himself from Loki’s grasp, almost tripping on his own feet as he ran towards the fallen enemy, fixing his hold on his blade and striking it directly on top of the cabinetman’s chest. He twisted it inwards, blood snaking out of the wound. He thrusted the knife in, then out, in, then out, gazing down at the mess he had made with an aggressive gaze. Goro felt his breath hitch, hands shaking as he took the blade out, the steel covered in a crimson red liquid. 

Goro watched as the life seeped out of the cabinetman’s eyes, his body fading away, leaving only black dust. The brunette gazed down at his blood stained gloves, the blade falling out of his hands as his angered expression contorted into one of pure horror. He could feel Loki’s presence get closer and closer, a comforting hand laying on his shoulder. 

“I need to get out of here, I need to go,” Goro gasped, his chest rising and falling out of the anxiety that filled his system. jittery fingers reaching for the phone in his pocket. He wiped his hands on his suit, some of the blood already dried on. Bloody fingerprints decorated the back of the phone, the pristine white color tainted by the rusted red that overlapped it. He felt dizzy, trying to figure out how to get back as he searched all throughout his phone for the application he had seen earlier. 

“Before you go,” a dark voice murmured, Goro too shaken to turn around, “just take a moment and breathe. When you click on the app you used to get here in the first place, you’ll go straight back to your world.” Loki stated, Goro taking a moment to think about the meaningfulness of the comment. Shinjuku late at night was horrifying for someone his age- and going back in such a broken state wouldn’t reflect well on his character.

“Promise me you’ll be okay.” Loki murmured, Goro’s eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “We met just today. Why do you care?” Goro sighed, the figure behind him placing his finger on Goro’s heart. “I am thou, thou art I. If you die, I go down with you.” Goro looked down towards the ground, slowly nodding in accordance to his words.

“I see.” 

Loki removed his hands, sitting up from the lengthy sword he was barely seated on. 

“I am thou… thou art I.” Goro recited once again, tapping the application he used to get into this new world to go back to his own. Images of Loki filled his brain before departing, the world around him spinning.

-

Despite being as dark as it was, four in the morning in a Shinjuku alleyway didn’t seem… that bad. There were threats of danger- whether it was police or drunk men coming out of clubs, but that’s present in a lot of cities at night, especially at four in the morning.

Goro slowly got up from the cold pavement below him, dusting off his knees upon seeing the scratches that decorated his skin. The dry blood that was on the surface was too painful for him to chip off, deciding to leave it be and start walking down the lonely alleyway. 

He had been to Shinjuku a few times before tonight- only in a car, though. Due to the Red Light District’s notorious reputation, a small child like himself wasn’t permitted nor tolerated in such a grown place with such grown people. He wasn’t fond of the bright lights and active city life, anyway- up until he had heard the rumor that his father and his associates were linked to an active night club in the city.

Goro looked behind him, noticing the enticing red lights that were hung outside of the club. The people that were outside earlier when he was there were gone, replaced with a few men and women sharing a smoking session, their hands covering their cigarettes. 

He’s in a very bad position, to say the least.

Goro turned back around, the end of the alleyway only getting farther and farther as he continued to walk towards it. He knew that the people from the club wouldn’t chase him down or anything of that nature, but considering what he had just done, the idea of being watched was tugging at him. He wasn’t sure of how that other world worked, or if it was tied to the real world he lived in, but he hoped that nobody saw what he did whether it’s effects can pass over into the real world or not. 

Goro tries to keep his speed steady, feeling his walking pace slowly turn to running. A mixture of fear and caution was present in his system, racing for the end of the seemingly endless alleyway. He could see more and more of the neon lights from the main city glow the closer he got to the end, almost relieved to see Shinjuku’s nightlife. He kept running, and running, and running, his legs feeling out of control--

Goro felt his body collide with someone else’s, his eyes widening as he fell to the ground once again.

The smell of alcohol was present on the man’s body, although he didn’t look drunk. He had messy brown hair and glasses hanging on the hem of his shirt, and a blazer hanging off of his shoulder. He seemed distressed, almost like he was running from something- or maybe even someone.

Goro gazed up to the man, eyes widening upon seeing who was in front of him. 

“Goro?” 

Maruki looked down at the small boy, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What are you doing in Shinjuku at night?” He asked, the brunette unsure of how to answer his question- he can't even open his mouth. The elder nodded in response, moving his posture so he was facing Goro. The smaller boy was unsure of where his words had gone, his brain blanking out as he blubbered to come up with a response.

“Business,” He replied, his voice much quieter than he intended for it to be.

Maruki placed his hand on his hip, noticing the raggedness of Goro’s appearance- from the way his hair was tousled to the scrapes on his knees, he could tell that this ‘business’ was quite eventful.

“You’re hurt. Where do your guardians live?” Maruki questioned, trying his best to keep his tone as sweet as possible. Goro looked down, his pale hands sliding into his hair as he tried to remember. He could feel the strength in his knees start to give out, unsure if it was a result of his mental state or the pain of the scrapes on his knees. His head pounded, closing his eyes to try and regain stability, yet to no avail. He was blanking out, he couldn’t remember-- where did his guardians live? What would Maruki say? What would he do if he found out Goro ran away from home to go to a Shinjuku night club? What would--

“Hey,” Maruki kneeled down to see eye to eye with the smaller boy, distress evident in his expression, “you’re panicking. Take a deep breath- don’t answer anything you don’t want to. If I’m hurting you, let me know. If you want me to leave, let me know.” 

Maruki seemed hesitant on the last bit, Goro taking a deep breath before sliding his hands out of his hair and looking back up to Maruki. 

“They’re in Ikebukuro. I messed up, Maruki, I really messed up this time,” Goro felt tears well up in his eyes, hands shaking at his sides. Maruki seemed pensive, but attentive, Goro using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his tears. “It’s fine. I’ll be dead tomorrow.” He mumbled, voice strained from the willpower of holding in his tears and sobs.

“Why would you be dead tomorrow? You’re the strongest kid I’ve ever met. You’ll be fine.” Maruki murmured, his tone soothing to Goro’s erratic brain. 

“Here, how about this. You come with me to my apartment for the night, and I can bring you to Ikebukuro in the morning?” Maruki suggested, Goro not fully processing what he was saying. “I don’t wanna go back there. They’re too strict on me.” The brunette sighed, trying to keep himself grounded as he awaited a response from Maruki. The elder seemed pensive before finally nodding, Goro attentive to see what his response would be. 

“Okay then,” Maruki stated, “follow me.”

-

Goro can’t sleep.

Maruki had seemed to pass out the moment he said goodnight to Goro- the brunette could tell by the way the elder snored when he got on his bed in a separate room. The boy sat quietly on the edge of the door, his legs laid out. He stared at the scrapes, his impulsiveness leading him to pick at the dry blood on his legs until it was all gone. Every prick held more and more pain, dusting off his knees once he thought he was ‘done.’

They were still in pain. It didn’t help at all.

Goro laid his head against the door, eyeing the doorknob as an influx of thoughts filled his mind.

If he left now, he could catch an early train back to where he lived- but he wouldn’t see Maruki again. 

Temptation ate away at him, not blending well with his insecurities. 

Goro couldn’t help but think he was being a bother- Maruki just wanted to go home, but Goro bumped into him on the street and essentially guilt tripped him into taking him home. He didn’t have to break down in the way he did, Goro cringing at the thought of Maruki pampering him like he did earlier. He didn’t deserve any of the help he got, in the same way Maruki didn’t deserve to throw away his private life to house some random kid he met in Shinjuku. 

He saw a room next to Maruki’s, his head tilting in confusion. Maybe it was his fiance’s? He had always seen couples sleeping in the same room on T.V; he’ll ask about it later. 

Oh God, what is his girlfriend going to say when she discovers that Maruki took in some random kid off the street? 

“Goro?”

The brunette quickly looked up at the mention of his name, spotting Maruki in the same clothes he was in hours earlier. He seemed tired- had he woken him up? Goro felt guilt return back to his system, looking down and fidgeting with his fingers as he heard Maruki’s footsteps get closer and closer. 

“There’s a room for you, bud. Next to mine. Why are you sleeping by the door?” The elder asked, rubbing his eyes while Goro crossed his legs to not take up as much space. “Won’t your girlfriend get mad, though?” The brunette questioned, watching as the elder’s face transfixed into a more solemn expression. Goro looked on in curiosity, watching as Maruki got down on his knees to sit next to Goro.

“My girlfriend, my fiance… she died.” 

Goro felt the silence between them grow stronger and stronger by the minute, unsure if what he was feeling was guilt or empathy.

“Oh.” Goro mumbled, laying his hands flat on his thighs, “I’m sorry.” Maruki shook his head slightly, waving his hand to signify that it wasn’t a huge deal. “I’m sure you meant no harm. You’ve been in my situation before.” Maruki murmured, Goro tilting his head to face Maruki. “You remember me telling you about my mom?” The brunette asked, Maruki shrugging in response.

“I remember everything I’m told.” Maruki whispered, Goro looking back down at his lap. 

“Oh,” Goro whispered, his hands constantly moving due to a lack of knowledge on where to put them. “Okay. That’s a good quality to have.” He added, Maruki chuckling in response as he got back up.

“If you’d really like to go back to your guardians, I can take you in the morning.” Maruki murmured, crossing his arms and looking down at the boy on the floor. “However, I will always be here with open arms for you. You still have that dream of yours, right? That plan.” 

Goro’s eyes widened- how did Maruki remember?

Moreover- did he know about what he did?

Goro remembered the talks in Odaiba about Maruki being a mind-reader, but he never would have imagined it to be true. Maybe he was getting in over his head- maybe it was just that.

But staying with Maruki… isn't a bad idea.

Goro feels horrible for the fact that he’s intruding on Maruki’s private life, but he won't get any farther in his plans for revenge if he stays with his current guardians. Especially with a name like Masayoshi Shido, having an understanding guardian is much more valuable than strict ones. 

At least, for Goro.

“I’ll have to leave in the morning for school,” Goro sighed, Maruki waiting for a solid answer, “but I’ll be back in the afternoon. Hopefully. If I can catch a train,” Goro added, Maruki nodding in response. “Well, no pressure. I'm here when you need me.” Maruki assured, Goro looking back to the ground.

Victory was within reach.


	3. Chapter 3

The original draft of Goro’s plan to ‘murder his dad’ was simple- he found out his identity, found out where he would be, steal some sort of gun, shoot him, then either shoot himself or run so far out of Tokyo that he wouldn’t be able to be found by any sort of government agent. 

That was the plan until two weeks ago in Shinjuku.

Since the incident, Goro had been staying with Maruki in the room next to the elder’s. He was able to get a train back to Ikebukuro to pick up his most important belongings, leaving a note for his guardians that ran along the lines of ‘I’m running away, don’t come looking for me’. Maruki was more than happy to take him in, and while the elder made efforts to get to know Goro better, the brunette had no intentions of getting to know him on a deeper level.

That was also the plan until two weeks ago in Shinjuku. 

Maruki had known deep parts of Goro’s character- his mother passing, his father abandoning him, and his pragmatic worldview. No matter how hard Goro tried to hide himself, Maruki was always one step ahead. Goro was grateful for how Maruki never pressured him into saying anything he wasn’t comfortable with- growing a bond that quickly with someone isn't exactly… ideal.

He gazed down at his own appearance, wearing tan pants and a white tee. Goro made an effort to wear the nicest clothes he had, or to at least look presentable for who he was meeting. The meeting he had scheduled was very important, and looking professional was just the first step.

He came back to reality upon hearing a door click open, clearing his mind the best he could. 

“Hello, young man.”

Goro looked up at the source of the voice, seeing a man in a business suit holding his hand out for him to shake. The brunette felt his face flush, quickly taking his hand out from his pocket to shake the elder’s hand. “Before we discuss the matter at hand, what’s your name?” The man questioned, Goro feeling his hand go still in the elder man’s grasp. “Akechi. Goro Akechi. It’s nice to meet you.” The smile Goro put on his face was one he had been practicing for weeks in the bathroom (he remembers Maruki asking him why he was perched on the sink smiling into the mirror, Goro too embarrassed to explain).

Goro held his breath as he awaited the man’s response, snaking away his hand and placing it back down on his lap. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Akechi. I’m Masayoshi Shido, but I’m sure you already know that.”

Goro furrowed his eyebrows, his brain transfixed on the first thing he said.

‘Pleasure to meet you’. 

Did Shido… forget who he is?

An even greater question popped up into Goro’s brain, the brunette looking away from Goro as he thought about the situation.

Did Shido not remember him?

“Something seems to be troubling you,” Shido murmured from behind the desk, sitting down into his black office chair with a sigh. Goro quickly looked up, shaking his head lightly. “No, I just… tired.” He strained his voice to further prove his condition, unsure if the fake yawn he let out gave him away. Shido nodded in response, intertwining his fingers and placing his two hands on the desk. “It's quite unprofessional to show up tired to a meeting of this level, Akechi. I thought that parents these days taught their kids how to behave.”

Goro felt his eyes widen, his face going pale upon hearing what the elder had said. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, scratching the back of his neck as he looked away from the man across from him. 

“Well, what did you come here to show off? I don’t have the time for child’s play. I’m a busy man.” Shido hissed, the smaller boy nodding to himself, trying to remember the speech he had pre-planned.

Goro sighed, relaxing his tense muscles and sitting back in his chair. 

“I can prove to be of assistance to you in terms of a customizable hitman service.” Goro murmured, his tone strict, deepening it in hopes that Shido would treat him like a grown man instead of a child. 

It didn’t work.

Goro looked away at the sight of Shido chuckling at him, shaking his head. “What, a small child is going to be my personal hitman? You’re watching too much T.V.” He murmured, the brunette furrowing his eyebrows in response. Shido laughing at him to his face struck him the wrong way, and leaving with the impression he’s made so far would be a truly laughable offense. There was one more way Goro could prove his assistance in terms of a ‘hitman service’ to Shido- but it required a lot of willpower in order to even consider the decision of showing this second way.

‘Here goes nothing’, the boy thought, taking a deep breath and pulling out his phone. Goro slid his phone across the table, his finger pointing to the same app he had used to access the ‘other world’. 

The decision to present this information to Shido took Goro hours, days, even weeks to settle on. The original plan was to assassinate him at a private event, but many restless nights later, what Loki had said to him when he awoke to his ‘persona’ had really stuck with him. 

‘You have all the tools you need at your disposal.’

Loki, who was most definitely referring to himself, was the #1 reason as to why Goro will either save or ruin his life in the present moment. Utilizing this force of the supernatural while promising the advantages it would give Shido was the most satisfying part of lying to Shido. If people can be killed in this alternative world and those effects would be passed onto the real world, that new layer of anonymity presents huge merits that would greatly benefit not just shitty politicians like Shido, but shitty politicians all throughout Japan.

If this plan was executed correctly, Goro could have all of Japan eating out of his hand.

Shido examined the application in front of him, seemingly shocked by this revelation. Goro felt his heart beat faster and faster as time went on, crossing his fingers in hopes that the elder man wasn't catching onto his plan--

“You have access to the Metaverse?” Shido questioned, opening the application. Goro leaned his head over to Shido’s side, standing up to get a better view at what the man was looking at. The term that the elder had mentioned was something that Goro had never heard before, most likely due to his inexperience with the app. 

“How do you have this application?” Shido quiered, the brunette standing still while Shido lounged back in his seat. Goro felt his mouth go dry, his brain trying to remember what his ‘alternative story’ was for Shido. Lying had helped him his whole life- would lying to the older man’s face help him then in that moment? Goro can’t say he killed his colleague unless he has a death wish himself, and dying at the hands of Masayoshi Shido is not the way he planned on going out.

Shido leaned forward in his seat, Goro looking down at him with wide eyes. ‘He caught on’, he thought, trying his best to keep his composure. The brunette stumbled backwards, falling back into the seat he was sitting in moments before. 

“When did you get this application? Since you’re having trouble answering the first question,” Shido questioned, Goro cracking his knuckles under the increasing pressure that fell upon his body. 

“Around two or three weeks ago,” Goro murmured, shivers running down his spine upon seeing Shido’s attention pique at his words, “but I haven’t been in since. It was a spur of the moment situation- I didn’t even know where I was at the time.” Goro added, hands rubbing up and down his thighs in anticipation for what the elder might say. Shido nodded in response, pushing Goro’s phone back to him. “It just showed up on my phone one night, and I clicked it. I appeared in this really weird world- it looked like a train station, but almost distorted. I almost threw up.” Goro murmured, Shido’s interest showing in the way his neutral expression transfixed into a smile. 

“Did you, by any chance… meet anyone, or anything, in the other world?” Shido asked, Goro feeling his heart stop.

Did Shido… know?

“I saw a few monsters that I was able to beat. I…” Goro took a deep breath, “I awoke to some sort of… thing- he said ‘I am thou, thou art I’. He helped me beat the monsters I found.” The brunette murmured, Shido appearing to take more and more interest the longer he spoke. The interest that was evident in Shido’s expression was both positive and negative towards Goro’s mental state- the positives of Shido believing him were there, but the negatives of Shido catching onto his plan were also there. 

“You’ve awoken to a Persona.” Shido stated, Goro tilting his head in confusion at his wording. “You said you wanted to be my personal hitman, right?” The elder man asked, the brunette looking down at the floor. 

If he said yes- the plan would go to fruition.

If he said no- he’s been in the same position he has been for the past fifteen years. 

“That’s true, yes,” Goro murmured, Shido nodding in response. “Perfect. Since the death of my cabinetman-slash-hitman, I’ve been looking for a new one. He was getting too old, anyway.” Goro felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his head, nervous laughter erupting from his lips. ‘Was that the man I killed?’ Goro thought, uneasy at the thought of himself being responsible for what had happened. “I’ll have one of my scientists run a few… experiments. Nothing harmful, just seeing how strong you are.” Shido sighed, Goro’s leg bouncing in a fit of anxiety. 

“Goro Akechi,” Shido stood up, reaching out for a handshake from the boy, “welcome to the team. Come back to my office in a week or so and I can introduce you to her- Isshiki is a very passionate person, so I’m sure someone as passionate as you will get along well with her.” Goro gazed down at the man’s hand, reality hitting him after standing up.

The brunette shook the man’s hand, their grips hurting each other respectively. 

-

It was a peaceful night at Maruki’s apartment. 

The T.V. was set on a news channel, an anchorwoman telling a story about the passing of a beloved Japanese cabinetman who Goro knew all too well. The window was open, which allowed the smell of the food being made to pour out the opening. A gentle breeze cradled the curtains that were pushed to the side of the window, the ends of the cloth slowly moving in accordance to the spring breeze from outside. 

Goro side-eyed the elder who stood patiently at the pot on the stove, making sure that what he was making was cooking properly. The smell of egg and a variation of soy sauce filled his nostrils, the strong scent soothing his present nerves. The brunette never really found pleasure in coming home to Maruki’s apartment, but being in a place as close to ‘home’ as possible was what he needed. 

It had been two months since he was employed by Shido- one month and a half since he started training with Shido’s ‘scientist’ friend, Wakaba Isshiki. 

Wakaba was what Shido said she was: passionate, and Goro had learned some things from her regarding what powers he actually has. Loki isn’t just ‘some monster’, it’s his Persona- a manifestation of his inner self. The ‘subway’ he was in wasn’t just some other world- it’s a place called Mementos. Wakaba proved to be fruitful to his plan, to some extent; her knowledge helped him learn more about ‘the Metaverse’, along with the navigator used to utilize it. SInce their first meeting, they had met a few more times in both the real world and the Metaverse, testing out the waters. 

But with this line of work came sacrifices. 

Goro had seen the trope of experimenting on humans in sci-fi movies from when he was younger, but when Wakaba had shocked him into doing as she pleased in the name of science, he slowly began to realize the ‘consequences’ of his actions.

Earlier that day they had a ‘training’ session, only it wasn’t in the lab that Goro was used to being tested on- it was in a much more open space of the Metaverse; specifically Mementos. 

They had done training sessions in Mementos before, but in much more enclosed spaces. The rooms they practiced in were as small as the one he was in when he first ventured into the Metaverse, but as the weeks progressed and his skills were strengthened, Wakaba had other plans in mind. 

As a result, Wakaba gave Goro the task of clearing out an entire floor of Mementos. 

On surface level, it seemed like a challenge that could be completed. By that point in training Goro was already familiar with the layout of Mementos and felt that his skills would be more than enough to aid him in the present journey. However, the longer he kept going, the more and more his stamina drained. Goro was used to being tired, but the way he slumped against the wall in Mementos with his eyes barely open was a pain he had never experienced before.

His body was visibly shaking, teeth clenched together as he grasped at an open wound on his arm. He didn’t have any healing skills on Loki, and even then, he had used up anything that could heal him in earlier battles. He called for help from Wakaba for what felt like forever, the older woman simply watching him from afar. He felt tears well up in his eyes from the pain, blinking them away and focusing all his strength on standing up and continuing with the task until the floor was cleared out of all the enemies.

All in the name of science, right?

Hours later, Goro sat with his chin on his knees, watching Maruki stir the ingredients together. Being in what he considered the safest place for him to be was much better than bleeding out in another world entirely, in the same way that being with Maruki was much better than being with Wakaba. Goro’s eyes widened upon seeing Maruki look back at him, the brunette looking towards the table.

“Is everything okay, bud?” Maruki murmured, giving Goro a plate of the ramen he had been making. 

Goro looked back up to Maruki, seeing genuine concern in his eyes. 

“Just hungry,” Goro sighed, taking a hold of the meal in front of him and examining what was in it. Goro was grateful with how easy Maruki seemed to trust him, dropping the topic and serving food for himself. The brunette could see the T.V shut off in the corner of his eye, unsure if he was relieved or scared that it was now off. Maruki sat down next to him to eat, the silence between the both of them much more soothing than that of the piercing screams that were present in Mementos.

Maruki seemed pleased with the life he was living, from what Goro had seen- the male freely cooked for the both of them, and was comfortable enough to start conversations and ask Goro about his day. He knew Maruki had gone to college at some point, but he was too scared to ask what he was doing at the moment. On the surface, it looked like Maruki knew what he was doing, and that was fine with Goro.

Goro looked to his side, Maruki glancing to the side when he felt eyes on him. 

“Are you gonna eat?” Maruki questioned, Goro looking down at the steaming bowl of food below him. It looked so savory- the smells of the ingredients mixing together filled his nostrils, and the way it all day so nicely together within the bowl made the meal that Maruki made look like something out of a cooking magazine.

It looked delicious.

Goro began to eat without any further words, Maruki chuckling to himself as he began to eat too.

-

The effects of a mental shutdown can vary, but based on what Goro’s seen, they can be some of the most brutal, most horrifying, most inhumane experiences for both witnesses and the victims alike. Goro wasn’t aware of it at first, but killing the cabinet man in the Metaverse eventually led to his death in the real world. 

Goro remembered when the death of the cabinetman was announced on the news. Maruki was at the store and Goro was released from school early, and when he turned on the news he was greeted with an image of the man he stabbed to death. For a split second, he swore his hands were covered in blood. He remembered falling to the floor in shock, unsure if he wanted to cry or shout. Maruki came home a few minutes later and dropped the bags of groceries and ran over to check on the boy. Goro was grateful for how eventful Tokyo was, as the news reporter had moved onto another story before Maruki could connect anything. 

This time, he knows the full extent of his actions.

Goro fixed his seat on the tree branch, his all black attire helping him blend in in the tree’s shade. Wearing dark, long clothes in the middle of August was not in any way ideal, but what he had to do in order to fulfill his deeds. He saw a head of black hair get out of the white car, followed by a smaller girl with black hair. The elder woman reached for the hand of who Goro presumed to be her child, the younger girl saying something inaudible. 

Wakaba Isshiki.

The mission he was given was to kill Wakaba Isshiki. 

Goro shivered at the thought of murder- Wakaba had told him that killing someone’s shadow form in the Metaverse would result in a mental shutdown in the real world. He established that mental shutdowns were fatal most of the time, if not all the time. Shido seemed to agree when Wakaba told him to be careful in the Metaverse just in case he encounters someone’s shadow. It’s been four months since Goro started seeing Wakaba, and in those four months, he’s gotten to know almost everything he needs to know about the Metaverse.

The most significant thing she told him about was the existence of other worlds inside the Metaverse- places other than Mementos. She described these locations to be ‘Palaces’; and although Goro had never been in one personally, the gist was that if a person’s desires become so twisted and distorted, it manifested into a personal location within the Metaverse. Goro remembered asking if he had a palace, and he remembered Wakaba laughing and patting him on the head whilst shaking hers. (“Persona users can’t have palaces because their shadow is under control in the form of their Persona. Awakening to one means that the person has accepted this other side of themself,” she whispered.)

Goro received Loki minutes before killing a man, all in the name of trying to find his father’s identity.

Goro felt like he was going to throw up.

Shido had asked Wakaba multiple times if Goro was ready to go into the Metaverse alone and deal with shadows and everything the other world had to offer, and Wakaba answered honestly every time. She seemed to have put a lot of faith into Goro due to his Persona status, and the last time Shido asked was around two weeks prior. Wakaba had told him that Goro knew everything that he needed to know, but the scowl on Shido’s face convinced Goro that the elder wasn’t buying it. 

So naturally, since Goro was well-versed enough, Shido had ordered for him to perform a mental shutdown on Wakaba. Goro said he had never done this before, to which Shido let out a hard cackle. 

The giggling of a child brought him back to reality, Goro blinking to get a gist of his surroundings. 

The girl next to Wakaba seemed happy to be in her presence, whilst Wakaba herself seemed rather neutral. In her other hand were bags of groceries, Goro surprised at her strength. Based on what he had learned from Shido and his colleagues, the child holding Wakaba’s hand was her daughter, Futaba. She was thirteen, and she had long black hair that accompanied her features well. While Wakaba’s structure was composed, Futaba was more than happy to be there with her mother. Goro wasn’t sure how to phrase how he felt looking at the happy pair, but it wasn’t initially malice. 

It was sorrow.

Goro was originally okay with the plan to kill Wakaba. The woman had brutalized, manipulated and tortured him and time and time again in the name of science, constantly pushing his boundaries to see how broken he could be with Loki. She utilized him and degraded him to the point where he was nothing more than her science experiment, but condescendingly patted his head and told him ‘good work today’ after they were done. 

Yet, the way that Futaba and Wakaba had made jokes and laughed whilst happily holding hands and going inside of their house felt painstakingly heartbreaking to him. Goro could imagine it now- finding Wakaba Isshiki’s shadow in Mementos, alternating between using his gun, Loki’s magic or his own blade. Goro tried to shake out the gorey images from his head, pictures of his hands covered in her blood infecting his brain.

Goro gazed back up, watching as the door to the Isshiki household had closed shut. He let out a relieved sigh, his shoulders still tense. 

He didn’t have an issue with killing Wakaba, he had an issue with killing Futaba.

He wasn’t actually assigned to kill Futaba, just Wakaba. However, the longer Goro thought about the supposed repercussions of his actions, the more Futaba showed up in his brain. Killing Wakaba meant that Shido and his colleagues would be able to do whatever they wanted with her following her passing- taking her research, utilizing it to their advantage. The bit that irked Goro the most was the interference with family; Shido asked Goro to forge a suicide note under Wakaba’s name that would falsify her death and solidify it as a suicide caused by Futaba’s precense, which would go on to ruin Futaba’s life.

Futaba growing up without a mother and a father figure would make her just like him. That’s what made him want to throw up.

Regardless of whether or not Goro wanted to anything he planned on doing, it would be done by someone else. Even then, telling Shido that he didn't want to go through with the plan wouldn't benefit him at all and would even jeopardize his position as Shido’s Hitman. He knows because he voiced his concerns on the situation to Shido, to which the elder man said “You fought for this position, so you're going to keep it.” 

Futaba looked very sweet, thinking about the moments prior when she was swinging Wakaba’s hand in her own and singing some song from the radio. At the same time, Wakaba reciprocated this affection in the form of holding her hand in return, the adoring relationship between the mother and daughter making Goro think about his own mother. The thought of inflicting the pain he’s been dealing with for so long onto someone else made him sick to his stomach, some part of his brain trying to convince him that it was what needed to be done. 

Goro sighed as he took out his phone, opening the Metaverse app and looking down at Wakaba’s house one final time. In the case that Futaba does end up like him (and the even unlikelier case that she pursues the same path as him to kill the person who killed her mom), Shido would definitely have it covered with the suicide note forging. All he had to do was kill Wakaba, and Goro couldn’t wait to see Loki again and thrust his knife into the woman’s chest--

Goro’s eyes widened, shaking his head at the thoughts that flooded his brain. He wrapped his hands around the tree branch he was situated on, grounding and preparing himself to go in and finish what he started.

\- 

The moment Goro came home from the job, he slammed the door shut and fell on the floor. He could see it on the news already- ‘Mother kills herself due to maternal neurosis’ or some other headline of the sort. He could sense Maruki’s eyes on him from the moment he walked in, probably walking over to check on him or poke his shoulder to see if he was even alive any second. 

“Goro? You alive? Or is this another ‘I’m gonna lay on the floor for a bit’ moment?” Maruki questioned, Goro weakly putting his thumb up. “Please get off the floor, okay? I didn’t buy groceries today, but there’s a few snacks in the cabinet if you get hungry. Let me know if you need anything, I’ll be doing work.” 

Maruki worried a lot about Goro- from his physical state, to his mental state, to even how much he ate; it was obvious that the elder genuinely cared for him. Goro wasn’t sure of how to feel- it was better than spending his childhood breaking out of foster homes just to get put back in, and it was much better than the nights he spent researching Japan’s corrupt government system to find out who his father is. He didn’t want to let Maruki down, but he didn’t want to rely on him for everything.

Goro slowly stood up from the floor, walking over to a cabinet and looking at the wide array of snacks available to him. He didn’t really want a lollipop, but the huge pretzels were too much for him at the moment. Goro got on his tippy toes, reaching for the prepackaged bag of cookies and sliding it off the shelf with his fingers. He pinched both ends with his thumb and pointer finger, pulling them apart and holding the bag by the top. He walked over to the couch Maruki was situated on, jumping into the free seat next to him.

“What're you watchin’?” Goro asked, taking another cookie out of the bag and chewing on it. Maruki shrugged as he switched through channels, stopping for a bit on each one to see if the contents were interesting. “You know how television at this time of hour is. Mostly tabloids or movies I’ve seen before. Do you want to watch the news?” He asked, Goro indifferent to the request. He was never actually opposed to watching the news, but Maruki seemed to be more careful of bringing it up considering what had happened when the story of the cabinet man was on the T.V. 

He felt safe here- he felt somewhat safe. 

Maruki stopped at a popular news channel, an image of a man Goro knows all too well popping up next to the news lady. Goro’s eyes widened, choking on the cookie in his throat. Maruki quickly turned to him, patting his back to help him regain his composure. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, Goro!” Maruki hissed, Goro’s body falling forward onto his knees as he tried to get back to normal. 

Shido was on the T.V.

Goro couldn't make out what the story was about, but he assumed that it was for something political. He wasn't nearly as interested as Maruki, who eyed the figure on the television with a sharp gaze. Goro let out a final hefty cough before slowly coming back up, avoiding looking at the T.V and rather focusing on Maruki. 

“Are you okay now? What happened?” Maruki softly asked, Goro shaking his head in response. Maruki shouldn't have to be burdened with the knowledge that Goro wants to kill his father, Shido, or even make the connection that Shido is his father in the first place. “What, you know this guy?” Maruki murmured, chuckling to himself. Goro quickly shook his head, hands grasping into Maruki’s shoulders. “I don't know what got into me, I’m really sorry, I--”

Maruki shushed him, backing up slightly to get a better view of Goro’s face. The elder seemed to study him, Goro gazing up at him with watery eyes (Goro wasn't sure if it was from the choking or the current incident himself). Maruki looked back at the T.V, then back to Goro, nodding in response. “I was just kidding. Here, come here. You're safe, don't worry.”

Maruki wrapped his arms around a wide-eyed Goro, the brunette’s hands hovering over Maruki’s sides, too frozen in fear to reciprocate the hug. The warmth that engulfed him helped him try to forget what had just happened. 

Goro heard Maruki let out a heavy sigh, and felt his head shaking on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

It’s been four months since Wakaba’s death.

Goro knows because he’s been counting down the days since her death was announced on T.V, listed under another one of Tokyo’s tragedies. He remembered Maruki being overwhelmed with emotions as they told the story of Wakaba’s daughter and how her life was changed forever. He remembered the similarities Maruki pointed out between Goro and Futaba, and Goro remembered getting mad at him. Goro remembered apologizing to Maruki, too.

The brunette laid down on his bed silently, listening to the elder’s man on the phone. Shido called him to discuss a plethora of work related things, but an hour into the conversation Shido had somehow moved the conversation to boasting about himself and his own achievements. It wasn’t that Goro cared- he was much more grateful than annoyed as it gave him some time for himself. He looked around his square room, the door locked. 

He didn’t have much money on him, so his room was decorated minimally. Goro didn’t know how to do room decor, anyway- when he lived with his mom in Hakone, she and him shared a room and wasn’t given much creative freedom. There was a shelf with a few books that Maruki had lent him, and some that he borrowed from the library. There was one Featherman action figure on the shelf above a volume of the limited manga series that he had won in a claw machine, and a few knick-knacks. 

His closet holds a few minimal graphic t-shirts and sweaters, some white and black button-ups separating his ‘work clothes’ between his ‘comfortable clothes’. There was a school-supplied laptop on his desk with a few sheets in folders, some pencils scattered around the work-space. His keys hung on the coat rack by the door, next to some winter coats and blazers. He could faintly hear Shido talking about their future working together, not focused enough to respond honestly. 

“--So I was thinking of giving you a spot as a detective at the Tokyo police force.” 

Goro’s eyes widened, his body rising upwards. “Excuse me?” He asked, hearing the rustling of papers on the other line. “Well, you have a lot of untapped potential. Not to mention your ability to access the Metaverse- you can solve cases with no struggle. Who knows, maybe you’ll get famous one day for your skills.” Shido sighed, the brunette thinking through what Shido had said. 

“Don’t you think this is far too sudden?” Goro reasoned, an abundance of nerves seeping into his body. He’s sure Maruki wouldn’t mind if he got a new job (that he assumed would pay well), but explaining how he even got this job in the first place would be a complicated situation in and of itself. Explaining how he knew Shido or what his ties to him were was something he’s sure Maruki wouldn’t get immediately, and he doesn’t want to risk Maruki’s happiness for something as miniscule as this. 

“Why, you don’t think you’re ready for the position?” Shido murmured, Goro biting his lip as he processed the information he was receiving. “I can give it to my intern; he’s been working just as hard as you, if not harder.” Shido hissed into the phone, Goro’s attention piquing at the mention of another person. 

The risk of being put in the public eye at such a young age worried him, but what worried him most was how Maruki would react. How would he fit into all this- if he wasn’t skeptical already, how much more skeptical would he be when he finds out Goro is a world-class ace detective that magically got hired despite being a mere high schooler?

Goro sighed, switching his phone from his left hand to his right due to his arm getting tired. Maruki didn’t seem to mind when he came home super late from ‘school’, so this should be no different. 

“All I’m doing is detective work? Solving cases?” Goro asked, hearing Shido laugh on the other line. He cringed at the mental image of the man’s grin, trying to shake it out of his brain. “Essentially. Why, do you think you got what it takes?” Shido murmured, Goro looking down at his legs and swinging them back and forth on the edge of the bed. 

“I believe so,” Goro mumbled, keeping his tone firm. He kept his eyes closed as he heard Shido laugh on the other line, wincing at how loud he was. “Perfect. I’ll get you started next month. For now, keep doing what you need to do in order to get stronger in the Metaverse. You understand?” Shido asked, Goro sighing in response. “Yes, sir.” He heard Shido scoff on the other line. “I’ll see you next week at our conference,” He murmured, Goro opening his mouth to say ‘bye’ but seeing that Shido had already hung up.

Goro sat in silence with his phone by his ear, his hand slowly falling down to his lap.

So, that’s official.

Goro’s head perked to the sound of his door opening, a worried Maruki at the doorway. 

“My door was locked! Why’d you break in?” Goro shouted, putting his phone to the side and facing Maruki entirely. The elder seemed conflicted, Goro regretful of his words. 

“I was calling you from outside and you weren’t answering. You’ve been on edge lately, and I thought you had, uhh…” Maruki stumbled around his words, Goro’s eyes widening at the implications of the message. “Oh, definitely not. I’m sorry that I worried you.” Goro bowed slightly, placing his hands together. “I was just on the phone and I didn’t want you to barge in and tell me about the new snacks you bought at 777. No offense, of course,” Goro smiled as he spoke, a chuckle leaving his lips. Maruki seemed much more relieved, laughing along with Goro.

“Who were you speaking to? If I may ask,” Maruki added, Goro unsure if that was information he was comfortable with giving to the elder. “My boss. I got a job as a detective. School connections.” Goro murmured, keeping his tone sharp so he didn’t raise any suspicion. 

It didn’t work, based on the way Maruki’s eyebrows furrowed in response. 

“New job?” Maruki asked, Goro nodding in return. “Wow. I remember when you were, like, thirteen. Look at you! Sixteen and all grown up! You know, you can start paying rent soon enough!” Maruki joked, Goro’s eyebrows raising at the mention of having to pay anything at all. “Yeah, I wish I were thirteen again. God forbid I pay rent,” Goro smiled when he spoke, but a small part of his heart panged. Maruki laughed at his words, the younger boy too shaken to add anything to his words. 

“Well, I assume you’re doing okay. I’m gonna be making pork miso soup, so can you try and finish your homework so you can help out? It’s okay if not, just--” 

Goro nodded his head, Maruki smiling in response. “Wonderful! Alright.” Maruki backed away from the door frame, closing the door and sliding in a hand to finally wave goodbye. Goro couldn't help hold back the giggle that came out of his throat, shaking his head and looking away. 

-

Goro held his hand over his eyes, the sunlight seeping through the open spots in his fingers. 

Since taking the position as a detective a year or so ago, he had grown a lot as a person. His hair had grown longer, he had gotten taller, and he was now seventeen. His pain tolerance had gotten stronger, and his knowledge of the Metaverse was much more broad. Based on what he had seen, Maruki had changed a lot, too; the elder had gotten his own job as a counselor, and his dedication to his work had grown more and more. The pair were committed to their jobs, and it was evident in the way they acted. Yet, despite their busy lives, Maruki still looked out for Goro.

So, Goro decided to reciprocate the thought.

Alongside his personal growth since taking the position as a detective, his appearance in the media had grown exponentially. He had made headlines months prior after he was featured in a daytime T.V interview about how he solved a case that police seniors had been stumped on for weeks, even months. He had gotten countless interviews with broadcasting stations to magazines to public appearances, his face being the cover page for some of Tokyo’s highest ranked tabloid magazines. 

He had made a name for himself.

Due to the position, he was able to have a lot of academic freedom. His grades were never lacking and was ensured enough trust to be able to leave school early or not go at all to withhold his duties as the second coming of Tokyo’s detective prince. 

In terms of reciprocating Maruki’s appreciation by showing him some of his own, Goro had decided to go visit him at his job. It wasn’t kept a secret that Maruki had a job as a counselor- Maruki constantly reminds him of it, saying that ‘if Goro needs anything he’s there for him’ and that ‘he's here to help him’. It made Goro laugh.

Of course, he had showed up too early. He knew that Maruki was seeing a new client today, but he didn’t know how long the session would take. He would have asked, but he wanted the element of surprise to catch Maruki off guard when he visited his office. 

So now? Now Goro waits outside his office door, fitted in a beige peacoat and black slacks. His briefcase was on the floor due to how heavy it was, keeping his gloves on. He could hear some people speaking inside the room, not caring enough to eavesdrop. He could check his work phone for any news from Shido, but this was his time with Maruki. His head perked upwards at the sound of a door unlocking, Goro backing up to make space to allow the door to open. 

The first figure he saw was a dark red-haired girl, her hair tied up by a red ribbon. She had on an athletic grey turtleneck and a black tracksuit jacket with a yellow stripe on each side. She seemed fairly young- probably younger than him, with a bright smile on her face. Goro peeked his head further inwards to see if she was the only person coming out, the girl from before holding the door open for the other person in the room to come out. 

Maruki slowly stepped outside the office, a solemn expression on his face. He had a smile on his face, yet his eyes were cloudy.

“Goro! It’s so nice to see you,” Maruki practically leapt at the younger man, wrapping his arms around him and engulfing him in a hug. The brunette relaxed his shoulders, allowing the tension to seep out by returning the hug. He slowly detached himself from the elder to get a better glimpse of the two people in front of him, his head tilting slightly to get a better view of his current predicament. 

“Goro, this is Su…” Maruki seemed to stumble around with his words, the red-haired girl stood across from him waiting expectantly. “Kasumi Yoshizawa. She’s my new client.” Goro mouthed a small ‘hello’, slightly bowing. She bowed in return, raising her head to get a better look of the brunette. “Oh, I’ve seen you on T.V before! It’s truly an honor, Akechi-san.” Her smile was bright, Goro pulling out a shy smile. “It’s nothing too big. It’s an honor just to meet someone familiar with my work.” He murmured, Kasumi giggling in response. “How do you two know each other, if I may ask?” Kasumi asked, Maruki turning his body to face Goro.

“We, uhh… live together. Super complicated story.” Maruki sighed, Kasumi nodding whilst looking at Goro. “Maruki is a nice individual with truly good intentions. I hope he helps you in the same way he’s helped me.” Goro added on, somewhat shocked by the words that flooded from his mouth. “Doctor Maruki has been a huge help, and this is only my first session! He has such a wonderful skill of helping others.” Kasumi praised, Maruki stifling a small smile. Goro eyed the expression on Maruki’s face, trying to piece together what might be bothering him.

“You’re too nice, Yoshizawa-san. This wouldn’t have been possible without your self growth and development.” Maruki mumbled, Kasumi nodding in response. She seemed understanding of his words, sliding her bag over her shoulder. 

“I really should be going now. It was a pleasure meeting you both!” Kasumi smiled, waving goodbye to them as she walked down the hall, clutching onto her bag. 

Maruki sighed as he looked at Goro, who had his eyes fixated on him.

“Are you okay?” Goro asked, tone firm as Maruki stood still with his hands in his lab coat’s pockets. 

“Yeah.” He murmured, closing the door to his office and locking it. “Here, let’s go home. It’s getting late.” He softly said, Goro standing still as he processed the situation.

“Alright.”


	5. Chapter 5

The fridge was empty. 

Goro had checked the kitchen multiple times for anything he could eat, the lack of snacks leaving him shook to the core. Maruki hadn’t cooked in a week or so, and while Goro wasn’t opposed to eating frozen meals, he had begun to suspect that something was up. He groaned as he slumped back over to his room, sliding out of his work coat and unbuttoning the first few buttons of his white button up. He dove into the comfort of his bed, face buried in his pillow.

Goro had been in and out of Mementos on a day-to-day basis, fighting Shadows and progressing lower and lower into the world’s leveled floors. On top of Metaverse work, he was also responsible for getting his assigned cases solved or at least thoroughly researched. Piling on top of his already stressful life was his public image, constantly curating the character he displayed to the world as if it was a character in a novel or show. 

His life had been hard, but the challenges presented by adopting the role of ‘the second coming of the detective prince’ had put some of the most challenging situations onto Goro. 

The male rolled over from his front onto his back, moving backwards and placing a pillow by his neck for support, looking in front of him now. He checked his phone for any new emails or text messages, checking his social media indirects for the sake of curiosity. 

“Breaking news: A Shujin Academy Vigilante Group plans attack on world renowned olympist!” 

Goro’s eyebrows furrowed upon reading the headline, bringing his phone closer to his face to read the story.

Yet, before he had the chance, the door to his room burst open, Goro gasping out of shock.

“Dear God, Maruki, you scared me!” Goro whispered, Maruki seemingly apologetic for his actions. “Sorry, I just-- did you see the news?!” He quickly asked, Goro’s head tilting in response as he got an idea of what story the elder was referring to. “Here, come here, come here! Look!” Maruki pulled Goro off his bed, the two speed-walking through Maruki’s apartment up until they got to the living room. The elder turned on the T.V, scavenging through the available news channels until he found one with coverage on his specific story. 

“Yesterday, a calling card sent by a group who refers to themselves as the Phantom Thieves to Shujin Academy’s very own Suguru Kamoshida. A student who lives in the Aoyama-Itchome district claims to have gotten a first edition copy of the card, which reads the following:” A scanned version of the card appeared next to the news reporter’s head, Maruki’s eyes glimmering as he read the text on the screen, “Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how [Redacted] you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.”

Goro felt his mouth go agape at what he was hearing, while Maruki looked like he was going to explode from pure euphoria. 

“It’s been a day, and students have reported that Kamoshida did not come to school. It is unclear what has happened to him.” The reporter stated, Maruki sitting on the floor with his wrists on his knees. Goro slowly fell down on the floor with him, trying to process the news he had heard. 

“Goro, if what I’m thinking is right, then--” The brunette sighed, taking a deep breath to fully process the situation he was in. 

A vigilante group, who plans on making rotten adults pay and atone for their crimes, has just been revealed to the Japanese public. 

A group who wants to change the inner-mechanisms of society and the corrupt individuals who live within it live in the same city as him. 

“It’s so fascinating!” Maruki smiled, Goro looking over to Maruki with a somewhat neutral expression on his face. “Why does it matter that much to you, anyway?” Goro asked, the elder coming to a conclusion on the situation in his mind. “Did I not tell you?” Maruki murmured, the younger male’s interest piquing. “I’m going to be working as a counselor at Shujin Academy. I start next week. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet a Phantom Thief!” Maruki seemed more than excited to be going to school with potential threats to both him and society, but that was out of Goro’s control. The elder’s always been like that, whether it be about mind-reading, or taking care of other people, or in this case, going to school with potential threats to both him and society. 

“Let me know if you meet the Phantom Thieves. They sound like super serious people, I’m sure. You can tell by their usage of words like bastard and phrases that are totally not out of some superhero cartoon from a few years ago.” Goro sarcastically murmured, Maruki’s eyebrows furrowing at his words. The elder turned off the T.V, sighing as he returned the remote to its original spot. 

“They’re doing the exact same thing as you, y’know. The whole prospect of getting back at the corrupt adults who make both your life and the world a horrible place? I’d bet that you two would get along, given the chance to speak.” Maruki challenged, Goro eyeing him. “If they do have some supernatural power to alter people’s hearts, that could be used for bad fortune rather than greater good.” Goro reasoned, Maruki taking a moment to consider his thoughts.

“I see how you can think that. Only time will tell,” Maruki shrugged, nerves filling his body at the mention of the Phantom Thieves’ presence being a long-term thing. Would it interfere with Shido? The Metaverse? In the case scenario that they’re able to utilize the Metaverse in the same way that he can, what would that mean for him?

“You okay, Goro?” Maruki reached out for the younger male, Goro yanking away from him. 

He gazed up at Maruki, who expectantly looked at him like he owed him something. 

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” Goro whispered, rubbing his arm. 

-

The sound of his shoes hitting the ground had a slight echo to them, the male fixing his new glove on his right hand with his briefcase in his left.

Maruki had gifted him a new pair of gloves for his birthday; alongside a ‘made at home’ coffee cake and a generous attempt at homemade curry. That was a week ago- he remembered Maruki running up to him from the corner and hugging him tightly, telling him ‘happy birthday’ and ‘you’re an adult now!’. He also remembered thinking he was about to be another statistic in a home invasion case due to the suddenness of Maruki’s actions, thinking about how the two of them laughed on the floor for a bit following the event. 

He was currently out of town to a Japanese broadcasting station nearby Suidobashi- he remembered telling Maruki he’d be leaving the apartment for a day or two due to a shooting at the Japanese broadcasting station, and he remembered laughing his head off after Maruki thought he meant a literal shooting incident. 

He had packed an array of professional clothes and jewelry with the hopes that he’d look good on T.V while defending his stance on what he assumes is the Phantom Thieves case.

Oh, the Phantom Thieves.

Goro had a mostly negative opinion on them- that was evident in the way he spoke about them on T.V and in general interviews. It didn’t entirely stem from the twisted ideology that they were ‘stealing his idea of justice’, because he was convinced that their methods of justice were far, far different. It had been a month or so since the Phantom Thieves made a name for themselves following the Kamoshida case, and now that the Madarame case had been established and concluded, their popularity only continued to skyrocket. 

Goro isn’t one to discuss ethics. It’s certainly fun, but for him to openly go against the Phantom Thieves for intervening with people’s ‘hearts’ and changing them in a disturbing matter that includes the ‘paranormal’ would be like if he came out and spoke crudely about himself. 

He also likes gauging opinions from people. So that’s what he did.

The avid die-hard fans of the vigilante group were quick to defend the group, with comments directed at him ranging from ‘I politely disagree- what they’re doing is good’ to ‘kill yourself!!!’. Goro thought it was more humorous than anything else. 

Upon walking further down the hallway, he heard what he assumed to be a group talking amongst themselves. He could faintly make out the term ‘pancakes’ and ‘puke rides’, scoffing at the distinction between the two topics. He walked closer and closer to the voices, stopping at the group of 3.

One of them had spiky, blonde hair and an informal uniform. The other student had lighter blonde pigtails and a varsity jacket tied around her waist, holding onto her bag from the side. The last student had tousled black hair and a bag around his shoulder with… is that a cat? The thing that they all had in common, however, were the uniforms. They were unmistakable; they were Shujin.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?”

Goro had introduced himself into the conversation without purposefully meaning to. The smile he had forced onto his face was almost painful, and the way he forced himself into the conversation even more so. The ravenette in the group seemed unphased by his appearance, while the two blondes seemed caught off guard. 

“Yeah, whaddya want?” The male blonde replied, Goro at ease with their laidback nature. “I happened to be passing by, so it seemed polite to greet you. We’ll be filming together, after all.” Goro murmured, feeling like he was forgetting something of value. “Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi.” He added on, the ravenette focused on him. The two other students seemed confused by his presence, slowly piecing everything together. “Filming? What, you a celebrity?” The other male asked, the black-haired student keeping his distance. 

“Only to the extent of appearing on T.V a couple of times.”

The silence between the group was nerve-wracking, thankful for the look of realization on the girl’s face. He felt his phone vibrate, uneasy by the contact name that had reached out to him. “My apologies, I truly was just passing by. I must be going. There’s a briefing for tomorrow’s recording that I have to attend.” He sighed, clutching his briefcase. 

The group shared uneasy looks with each other, Goro smiling brightly in response whilst straightening his back. “So, you’re going to go have cake now? I missed lunch today, so I’m quite hungry myself.” He murmured, heart dropping at the look of confusion on the group’s faces. “Huh? Cake…? What’re you talkin’ about?” The blonde male questioned, Goro’s posture loosening up. 

“Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about… delicious… pancakes…” 

This was so embarrassing. Goro wanted to jump off a cliff.

“No matter! Welp, see you tomorrow.” Goro chuckled, the group of students exchanging looks of confusion with each other. Goro resisted the urge to run away, just walking away and blocking out everything he had just done from his memory. 

That student with the glasses…

Goro shook the image of the male from his head, focusing on getting to his meeting.


End file.
